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A review by bookishevy
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
As much as I love spicy summer romances, they don't hit like summer mystery thrillers. This one delivered.
Everyone in Fairview believes popular high schooler Andie Bell was murdered five years ago by her boyfriend, who then killed himself, even though Andie's body was never found. Now, high school senior Pip is re-examining the case for her final project, because she can't believe someone as good as Sal could do such a thing. Pip's objective was to simply cast doubt on the closed case, but when she discovers a trail of dark secrets and blackmail, Pip realizes she could actually prove Sal is innocent.
I listened to this entire book in one go at 1.5x speed because I couldn't get to the conclusion fast enough. I was deep in the trenches with Pip adding people to my own list of suspects, because it seems like everyone she interviews is hiding something that connects to Andie.
I loved that Pip doesn't give up on Sal, even though there are times it doesn't look good for him. And she stands up for him and his family, who are the only Indians in town because, naturally, the entire family is ostracized and treated like they're diseased while trying to grieve in peace. But little do the townspeople and press know, precious Andie wasn't perfect and did questionable things that led to her disappearance.
So, is she still alive? And, if not, who really killed her? Whoever is involved doesn't want Pip snooping around. The more she digs, the closer she brings herself and loved ones to danger. I had an inkling who the killer was, but that twist at the end had me on the edge of my seat.
I ran straight to Netflix to binge the series after finishing the book, but, not surprisingly, the adaptation pales in comparison to the audiobook, which is performed by a talented full cast.
Everyone in Fairview believes popular high schooler Andie Bell was murdered five years ago by her boyfriend, who then killed himself, even though Andie's body was never found. Now, high school senior Pip is re-examining the case for her final project, because she can't believe someone as good as Sal could do such a thing. Pip's objective was to simply cast doubt on the closed case, but when she discovers a trail of dark secrets and blackmail, Pip realizes she could actually prove Sal is innocent.
I listened to this entire book in one go at 1.5x speed because I couldn't get to the conclusion fast enough. I was deep in the trenches with Pip adding people to my own list of suspects, because it seems like everyone she interviews is hiding something that connects to Andie.
I loved that Pip doesn't give up on Sal, even though there are times it doesn't look good for him. And she stands up for him and his family, who are the only Indians in town because, naturally, the entire family is ostracized and treated like they're diseased while trying to grieve in peace. But little do the townspeople and press know, precious Andie wasn't perfect and did questionable things that led to her disappearance.
So, is she still alive? And, if not, who really killed her? Whoever is involved doesn't want Pip snooping around. The more she digs, the closer she brings herself and loved ones to danger. I had an inkling who the killer was, but that twist at the end had me on the edge of my seat.
I ran straight to Netflix to binge the series after finishing the book, but, not surprisingly, the adaptation pales in comparison to the audiobook, which is performed by a talented full cast.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Xenophobia, and Murder